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Working Out, Feeling Good. Before and Now Photos.

I didn’t take any “before” photos when I returned to boot camp in September. I wanted my focus to be on getting healthy, not on the size of my body. I didn’t want to waste energy stressing about weight, instead, I wanted to use all of my energy to get stronger and faster and perhaps hate running a little bit less.

People have started making comments that they can see changes in my body, but I’ve not been able to tell much. What I have noticed is that I have more endurance, that I’m stronger, that I no longer feel like I’m going to die when I run. I can do more sit-ups, I no longer have to do the “modified” version of exercises. Those are the changes I notice. So, this morning, when my husband made yet another comment about how much fitter my body is looking, I asked him to take a few photos with my phone.

He took this one as I was about to leave for my workout.

I didn’t have anything to compare it to, but I thought “not loving the belly roll, but my face looks a bit thinner.”

When I returned home from the workout, I asked him to take a few more. This time without the long t-shirt.

Then, I searched my cell phone, looking for a photo taken before I started boot camp. I found one that was taken at the end of August. It wasn’t until I saw that photo that I thought “My hard work *is* starting to show.”

I’m still overweight, my body is far from perfect, but you guys, I feel so good. I don’t feel ashamed about anything I see there. I feel proud that I have worked so hard. I feel motivated to keep working hard to get stronger, faster, healthier. What is that thing that they say? Strong is the new sexy? Yeah, that.

Twenty year old me could have never imagined feeling this way about my body was ever possible. I love 41 year old me.

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16 thoughts on “Working Out, Feeling Good. Before and Now Photos.”

You look GREAT! I’m so proud of you. Exercising is my next goal, but right now I’m working on not smoking. After 28 years, I haven’t had a cigarette since 12/23/12! The last few days have been difficult, but I’m doing it, and couldn’t have done it without the encouragement of my family and friends.

Y, you look fantastic. And I’m so happy to hear you FEEL fantastic too! That’s the best part. Sometimes I have a hard time seeing my own progress until I remind myself how far I’ve come. I couldn’t do a single push up, lifting 5 pounds seemed heavy, and running a mile was TORTURE… slow torture because I had to keep stopping to walk. Now that I can do pushups, lift heavy things and run a mile without dying. So worth it

I don’t think I’ve told you yet, but I was diagnosed with Hashi’s a few months ago. I know how much of a struggle it can be to exercise with that fatigue. So, so hard. You’ve been a bigger inspiration to me than you know!

You look amazing! I had an ego boost this morning when my trainer marveled at how I can do reverse lunges unassisted…”when we started, you couldn’t even DO a reverse lunge!”…it’s the little things that add up to the bigger things, right? Keep up the good work

You look fantastic. But more importantly, it’s obvious that you FEEL fantastic, and that you are truly loving yourself. As we learn with age, those things matter so much more.
My 34 year old self, 9 months post-partum (for the second time), is learning. Slowly, slowly learning: to love myself, accept myself, care for myself, and gradually make some incremental changes that I can truly sustain for the long haul.
Way to put this positive, self-affirming stuff out there, by the way! I’ve been reading your blog off & on for probably 6 or more years, and I LOVE this direction in which you have evolved.
Cheers to health, happiness, and wholeness!